Step-by-step: Equip a firefighter from the future

I begin by working on the overall design and the graphic read of the silhouette. I imagine a protective suit that’s less bulky than typical firefighter garb, and a helmet/mask/rebreather hybrid. I kept the reflective rectangular strips to make the new silhouette recognisable as a firefighter’s uniform. After establishing a strong, simple graphic silhouette, I can explore other angles and dive into details. This threequarters view enables me to explore details, such as the exhaust vents on the helmet, and the tubes going from the armmounted vapour gun to the small water supply on the wearer’s back. Once the design is looking good from multiple angles, I test out different colour variations, taking care not to lose the strong graphic shapes that were established in values during step one. Here, I try recognisable firefighter colours, but it’s a good idea to also explore unusual colour schemes, too.